MINI BANOFFEE PIES

It took me three long days to complete this recipe, and I’ve made it just. I decided I wanted to make banoffee pie on Sunday, but didn’t have any tartlet tins. So I bought tartlet tins. Then I realised I didn’t have any coconut milk, so on Monday I got the coconut milk. But to make the caramel, you need to refrigerate your can overnight. So on Monday night, I put the can in the fridge ready for Tuesday. But on Tuesday, after making the caramel, I remembered you also need four hours for it to set. And, as I wasn’t particularly excited at the idea of staying up until 1am staring at the fridge and waiting for it to work its magic on my jar of caramel, I just gave up and saved the date for today. Several complications with cling film later, I can definitely say these mini banoffee pies were a bit of an effort to make. You’d expect there’s a but here, yes? Well there’s actually two. But number one: these are deliciousness in a tartlet tin. And when I say deliciousness, I mean I-don’t-care-if-they-haven’t-set-yet-I’m-going-to-eat-two-right-now-as-a-starter-before-a-bowl-of-tomato-soup deliciousness (that was a long one). And just when you think that’s enough of a reason, but number two: you get an extra half a cup of caramel from the recipe, and may I suggest that you have it as a dessert after your tomato soup that you ate after two banoffee pies?

Notes:

- If you use coconut milk with a content of 18g of fat per 100g, you should get exactly 1/4 cup of water and enough fat for both caramel and cream after refrigerating.
- If you feel too lazy to make your own cream topping using the remaining fat from the coconut milk, simply use shop-bought soya whipped cream or equivalent.

- See above: the recipe makes about 1 cup of caramel. You only need about ½ cup for the pies, so you are officially allowed to eat the remaining by the spoonful or even better, to dunk the digestives you have left into it. You’re welcome.

MINI BANOFFEE PIES

125g (8) vegan digestive biscuits (I used M&S own brand)

1 ½ teaspoons golden syrup

40g (3 tablespoons) margarine, melted

Caramel:

Adapted from Oh, Ladycakes

Half of a 400ml can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

Cream:

Half of a 400ml can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight

1 tablespoon icing sugar

1 small ripe banana, sliced

Vegan dark chocolate

Start by making the caramel filling: open the can of coconut milk that has refrigerated overnight and separate the milk fat at the top from the water. Place 60ml (1/4 cup) of the coconut water in a pan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, without whisking or stirring, as this will make the sugar cristalise. Stir in 200g (1 cup) of the coconut milk fat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil the mixture for 5 minutes, whisking only once or twice. Remove from the heat then pour the caramel into a glass jar and cool on counter, uncovered, until the caramel reaches room temperature. Place in the fridge to set for at least four hours before using.

Next make the base. Crush the digestive biscuits with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor/blender. Transfer them to a mixing bowl, add the melted margarine and golden syrup, then mix until well combined. Whilst the mixture cools, line three tartlet tins with cling film. Place the mixture into each tin, pressing evenly and firmly to cover the base and edges. Put the tins in the freezer for at least 20 minutes whilst you prepare the cream.

With the remaining coconut fat left, make the cream topping. Combine the fat (you should have just under half of the original amount) with the icing sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until it’s all nice and frothy.

When ready, take the tins out of the freezer, fill them with a layer of banana slices and cover with caramel. Pour the cream on top and decorate with cocoa nibs/grated chocolate if you like. Leave in the fridge and remove from the tins just before serving.